Worcester funeral home owner writes about Tsarnaev burial

Bronislaus B. Kush TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Published Saturday April 26, 2014 at 6:00 am

Updated Saturday April 26, 2014 at 8:39 am

Mr. Stefan

WORCESTER — Peter A. Stefan, owner of Graham Putnam & Mahoney Funeral Parlors on Main Street, has written a book about his fight to find a proper burial place for Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the two suspects in last year's Boston Marathon bombings.

The book, tentatively titled "Last Rites of a Boston Marathon Bomber," may be available as soon as this summer.

Meanwhile, Mr. Stefan, who was heavily criticized by some for handling the funeral arrangements for Mr. Tsarnaev when no other undertaker would, said discussions about a possible documentary or movie about his endeavors are temporarily on hold.

Mr. Stefan declined to identify the book's publisher until the work is fully edited and ready for print.

He noted that he is still working to get permission from news outlets and other organizations to use their photographs in the book.

Mr. Stefan said he was assisted by a team of ghostwriters. The book is about 200 pages long.

"I don't really know if you would call it a historical work or an autobiography," Mr. Stefan said.

He noted the book will contain all the details of his involvement with Mr. Tsarnaev's body.

It will also contain some information on causes he has championed in the past, including the recycling of thrown-away prescription medicines.

Mr. Tsarnaev and his younger brother, Dzhokhar, who is awaiting trial at the federal prison in Devens, stand accused by authorities of setting off two bombs April 15, 2013, near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and wounding about 265.

Officials also said they murdered an MIT police officer during their escape attempt.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed after a gun battle with police in the Boston suburb of Watertown.

According to the state medical examiner's office, Tamerlan died of gunshot wounds to the torso and the extremities and of blunt trauma to the head and torso. He also sustained injuries after being run over by a vehicle driven by his fleeing brother.

Dzhokar Tsarnaev, a student at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth who now faces the death penalty if convicted of the marathon bombings, was captured April 19, 2013, after he was found hiding in a boat stored in a Watertown backyard.

Mr. Stefan took over responsibility for Tamerlan Tsarnaev's remains from a North Attleboro undertaker whose business was picketed.

Mr. Stefan's Main South funeral home was also targeted by protesters shortly after he took charge of Mr. Tsarnaev's remains.

He was criticized by some local residents and individuals from around the country, who thought his actions were unpatriotic.

In addition to dealing with the protestors, Mr. Stefan found it difficult to find burial space for Mr. Tsarnaev.

Officials in Boston and Cambridge, as well as those in at least 125 other jurisdictions in the United States and Canada, would not allow the burial of the suspected terrorist in their communities.

Worcester police finally announced May 9 that Mr. Tsarnaev had been buried out of state. It was later revealed he was interred in a small Muslim cemetery in Doswell, Va.

Mr. Stefan said it was his duty to get involved with Mr. Tsarnaev's funeral arrangements and that area residents, for the most part, were supportive.

He especially lauded U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry; U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester; and state Sen. Harriette L. Chandler, D-Worcester, for their help.

Mr. Stefan said he was disappointed when Gov. Deval L. Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, among other officials, took political advantage of the situation and refused to help find a solution.

He said he was particularly upset that nobody from the religious community stepped forward.

Mr. Stefan said it looked as if there might have been an agreement to have Mr. Tsarnaev buried in Chechnya, but Russian authorities would not formally agree they wouldn't use the interment for political purposes.

"This story was an international event, and for a long time the world was focused on Worcester," he said.

Mr. Stefan, over the years, has been a champion for various underdogs.

For example, he fought City Hall over efforts to shut down the People in Peril shelter for the homeless; financially helped poor families bury their deceased; and promoted needle-exchange programs that were launched to battle the AIDS epidemic.

He said he's hoping President Obama will stop by his funeral home during his visit to the city later this spring to thank his workers for their efforts in dealing with Mr. Tsarnaev's remains.